The postseason seems like a long shot for the Rangers with just over a week to go in the 2009 season, but things didn't get so dismal until the Rangers finished a 2-7 homestand Sunday.

The nine-game stay at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington started with the Rangers only two games behind Boston for the wild-card lead and 5 1/2 behind Los Angeles in the AL West.

The Angels, though, left Arlington with a 7 ½ -game lead in the West, the Red Sox were up eight games, and the Rangers were left seeking a miracle to reach the postseason.

Readers want to know what happened. Patrick from Haltom City, a regular contributor, believes the Rangers fell out of contention because of injuries to Michael Young and Josh Hamilton, bad weather, a young roster, and a "good, ol' fashioned choke job."

Patrick was 3-for-4, which was much better than the Rangers offense on the homestand.

Teams can't overcome the loss of two All-Stars over the long run, and not having Young and Hamilton caught up with the Rangers.

Steady rain didn't help. The combination of multiple delays took the players out of their routines. That's tough enough for veterans to overcome, but young players rely on their routine to get them started.

But to say the Rangers choked is a little harsh, especially considering the two teams they were trying to catch. The Angels and Red Sox have the one thing the Rangers don't have: the experience of a pennant race.

Those two clubs never let up, never slumped, won the games they were supposed to win and most of the ones that could have gone either way.

The Rangers didn't do that. Fans will have to wait 12 months to see if their run this season will help them down the stretch next year.

Q: From news reports it appears that Tom Hicks' financial situation is having an adverse impact on the team in several areas. What are the chances of a buyer or group of buyers coming forward to take over the team in the near future?

Crawford, Waco

WILSON: Here's a recap: In March, Hicks said he was seeking investors but that he'd maintain controlling interest. By May, he was willing to sell the his entire stake. This week, former agent Dennis Gilbert, Jim Crain and Chuck Greenberg were identified as three of six people/groups who have been approved by Major League Baseball to participate in bidding for the club and have made an initial offer.

While MLB would love to have the situation resolved by the end of the year, the sale could linger into spring training or even into the regular season.

Q: In the past, whenever I have read an article about MLB team finances, the Rangers would be described as making a small profit most years. If that's the case, how did the team's finances get so bad so fast?

Brenk, Dallas

WILSON: It's not so much the team as it is the owner. It's not so much that the Rangers aren't making him money as it is the owner trying to tighten up the belt in all of his enterprises. Hicks owes millions. The club is for sale to help him settle his debts.

Q: If you were running things, which one regular position player would you dump this off-season? I can't decide between Josh Hamilton and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but my cat says get rid of Salty.

Joe, Weatherford

WILSON: Me in charge? Pretty sweet. On my to-do list would be to get you to stop having conversations with your cats.

Hamilton and Saltalamacchia are players with high ceilings who are under club control for at least three more years. Neither is going anywhere. Hank Blalock is a free-agent-to-be. With Chris Davis and Justin Smoak in the future picture at first base, not to mention the need to free up the DH spot for one of the extra outfielders, my choice would be to let Blalock leave. Nothing personal. Just business.

Q: Do you see the Rangers signing a top-tier outfielder in the off-season, or will they more likely go with a Hamilton/Nelson Cruz/Julio Borbon or David Murphy rotation to save money? Won't Marlon Byrd likely want a multiyear deal like Gary Matthews Jr. did?

David, Oklahoma City

WILSON: Catching was the organization's strength entering the last off-season. This time around it's the outfield, but the Rangers would still like to re-sign Byrd. And Byrd wants to re-sign, though it might be difficult for him to get more than one year from the Rangers. It will all come down to how much money the Rangers have to spend, and right now they don't know how much that will be.

Q: It seems that the Rangers have one too many outfielders/designated hitters for 2010. Borbon, Cruz, Hamilton and Murphy are all capable of playing regularly. Will the Rangers try to trade one of them?

Joe, Amarillo

WILSON: Expect those four in the mix somehow. Maybe one will be dangled as trade bait if Byrd re-signs, and there aren't many teams that wouldn't be interested. Borbon will develop into a true leadoff hitter; Cruz gives the Rangers a much needed right-handed power bat; Hamilton can be an MVP; and Murphy is versatile and a disciplined hitter.

Q: Do you know anything about how Milton Bradley was perceived by his teammates, manager Ron Washington and the front office? I have read snippets over this year, mostly from national writers, to the effect he wore out his welcome with the Rangers. But other than maybe not wanting to tough through some injuries at the end of 2008, I never saw anything specific at the time. Do you think the Rangers would be open to having him back, if the Cubs eat a lot of salary?

Michael, Texarkana

WILSON: Bradley got along well with his teammates, and Washington still wishes he had a hitter with the plate discipline Bradley showed last year. But opinions cooled some in March, when he told Gil LeBreton that he could have played at times last year but opted to sit out to make his stats look better for potential suitors. That didn't sit well some players and management, especially when Young was playing with broken fingers on each hand. Bradley pushed himself way down the wish list with those comments, and probably pushed himself off it completely.

Q: It seems that the only two pitchers who have secured positions in the starting rotation for next year are Kevin Millwood and Scott Feldman. Is Doug Mathis going to get a chance to compete for a spot? It seems that all he has ever done on the farm is succeed as a starting pitcher. If Mathis isn't going to be considered, could you tell me why?

Aaron, Dallas

WILSON: He's probably not going to be considered, and here's why: The Rangers believe Mathis has found his niche in the big leagues as a long or middle reliever. The Rangers will also have Brandon McCarthy, Matt Harrison, Neftali Feliz, Dustin Nippert and Eric Hurley all competing to be the fifth starter. Mathis isn't viewed as a better big-league starter than those pitchers.

Q: Given that Elvis Andrus, Derek Holland, Feliz, Tommy Hunter, Taylor Teagarden and Julio Borbon have graduated to the major leagues, how do you think the Rangers minor-league system will rank this off-season? And who is still on the farm that you feel could impact the big-league club next season? Smoak seems obvious, but who else is coming that quickly?

Alan, San Antonio

WILSON: The Rangers probably lost too much top-tier minor-league talent to repeat as Baseball America's top farm system, but there's too much lower-level talent for them to drop out of the top five.

You're right: Smoak is an obvious choice to impact the Rangers next season. After that, it gets tougher. Next up could be Martin Perez, whose path through the minors this season wasn't much different than Feliz's in 2008. It's believed that Mitch Moreland will be a major-leaguer some day, and Chad Tracy had a nice year in the minors and left a favorable impression within the organization.

Q: If you were trying to convince Hicks to not close the Legends of the Game Baseball Museum, as I am trying to do by getting petition signatures, what would you do?

Darwin, Grand Prairie

WILSON: Frankly, I think the owner has some bigger fish to fry, as in the sale of the ballclub. The museum will close at the end of the season, but it's a temporary closure as the Rangers find a way to revitalize it. There haven't been many changes since it opened, and it has grown stale for those who have been multiple times. The Rangers say they are working on upgrades and improvements, so why petition against that?

Q: I've been a Rangers fan for 20 years, and I have yet to understand something. Could you please explain who sets the team's home market and how it is set? I live eight hours from Arlington. I am considered in the home market for the Rangers, which means that I can't see most of the games on ESPN, MLB Network, etc. I can't even get the MLB Extra Innings from Cox Communications because we are blacked out. I've also tried the MLB Extra Innings, still blacked out. I do occasionally get to see the games on Fox Sports Southwest, however being closer to Houston, they opt to play the Astros games instead. I've contacted all of the different networks, yet all they do is refer me to the blackout policy.

Jason Martin, Baton Rouge, La.

WILSON: I'll give it a shot. The Rangers don't control what's happening here. Everything is determined by territory. Baton Rouge is in the Rangers' and Astros' territory, but is in the Astros' primary territory for Fox Sports Net. It sounds like Astros games might also be blacked out on ESPN and the MLB packages in your market. It also sounds like your cable operator doesn't have offer Fox Sports Southwest Plus, which carries Rangers games when there is a head-to-head conflict with the Astros.

Q: 1. With the final homestand of the season coming up, what part about a night at Rangers Ballpark are you going to miss the most during the off-season?

2. If a pitcher throws hard to first base on a pick-off attempt (or to hold the runner), does it count against his pitch-count?

3. What exactly is wrong with playing in the rain? Football does it.

Chip, Houston

WILSON: 1. I'm not sure I'm going to miss anything initially. But at some point I'm sure I'll crave some of Wanda's sweet tea and wish I had a salad bar in my house.

2. Nope.

3. Would you want to stand in a batter's box not able to fully see someone getting ready to throw a wet baseball 90-plus mph in your general direction? Not me.